Silence and Scars
by The Lilac Elf of Lothlorien
Summary: Tortured by Death Eaters after the battle with Voldemort, Harry is trying to deal with his recovery. Harry's twin sister, Morgan, is trying to deal with her own illness, and their older sister, Ardelia, is doing her best to help them both. AU! Disabled!Harry and Sick!OFC
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I've been thinking on how to rewrite my story 'Silent Screams Are the Loudest' for a while and this is one of the few rewrites I've done where I'm scrapping the original. I'm even changing the title. I'm still using the original as a guide, but there's going to be some fairly big changes later on, especially with the disabilities Harry will be facing.

STORY SUMMARY: Tortured by Death Eaters after the battle with Voldemort, Harry is trying to deal with his recovery. Harry's twin sister, Morgan, is trying to deal with her own illness, and their older sister, Ardelia, is doing her best to help them both. AU! Disabled!Harry and Sick!OFC

* * *

HARRY POTTER: Silence and Scars

* * *

The crowd of people watching the final task of the TriWizard Tournament cheered as Cedric Diggory suddenly appeared out of nowhere, the TriWizard Cup clutched in his hand even as he fell limply to the ground, his robes ripped and singed. There was blood on his shirt and many cuts and scratches on his face, chest, and arms.

The crowds hushed as they noticed that the teenager was unmoving, wondering what had happened and also, where the second Hogwarts champion was.

As Dumbledore led the way towards Cedric—followed by the young man's parents—the headmaster looked worried when he noticed that Cedric still wasn't moving. Going to the boy, he knelt down and checked that the young man was still breathing. Thankfully, he was and Dumbledore hastily wrangled two of Cedric's classmates to get him to the hospital wing of Hogwarts

"Where's Harry?" Someone shouted, sparking several follow-up questions. "Didn't he come back yet?"

Dumbledore quickly got to his feet and raised his wand before sending a silvery phoenix into the maze to search for the young Gryffindor student. He had a bad feeling that something had happened in the maze but until Cedric regained consciousness, there was no way of knowing for certain what had transpired.

"Professor! Professor, where's Harry?"

The headmaster looked up as he saw the rest of the Potter Family heading in his direction and he wished he knew what to tell them.

It had been the surprise of a lifetime when James and Lily had survived the attack by Voldemort and his cohorts, 13 years ago. And it had been even more surprising that the three Potter children—Ardelia, Harry, and Morgan—had survived unscathed as well.

Well, mostly, Dumbledore realized as he looked at Harry's older sister, Ardelia, whose green eyes were darting about, no doubt searching frantically for her younger brother.

Ardelia had been 3 years old when Voldemort had attacked the Potter home and ever since that night, she hadn't said a word. The magical healers and muggle doctors had never been able to find anything which could have caused the loss of Ardelia's voice and, eventually, James and Lily had been forced to accept that their oldest child might possibly never speak again.

When Ardelia (who preferred to be called 'Ari') had turned 5, her muggle schoolteachers had sat down with James and Lily and the group had discussed how best to go about Ari's education. At first, the parents had been confused by the subject, but Ari's art teacher had simply explained that since Ardelia still remained mute, that she would need to learn other methods of communication.

By the time Ardelia was ready to go to Hogwarts, she was exceptionally proficient in sign language and was even starting to get the hang of a few nonverbal spells—something she'd been trained in very early on. James had hoped that studying the nonverbal magic would help coax his daughter into finally speaking, but that hadn't been the case.

"Professor, where is Harry?" Lily asked again, pulling Dumbledore from his reverie.

But Dumbledore didn't reply as his Patronus had returned from searching the maze and the grounds. When the silvery phoenix let out a few sad notes, Dumbledore's heart sank. "Harry is gone from the grounds," he reported to the Potters. "I don't know where he is." That news frightened the headmaster as he realized that not only was Harry missing, but if he had been taken by someone, there was also no way to tell who it was or where they might have gone.

" **What does he mean 'I don't know'?"** Ari signed to her father, looking alarmed. **"Where could Harry have gone?"** With set determination, she started towards the entrance to the maze, but her mother blocked her way.

Lily took her eldest child by the shoulders and did her best to push her own fears and worries aside as she said, "Harry's got to be somewhere. We'll find him. I promise, sweetheart."

Next to James, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin also looked alarmed and worried that Harry was missing. Where could he have gone? The three Marauders wordlessly split up, heading for the edges of the Hogwarts grounds so they could apparate and start searching for Harry.

* * *

Harry didn't know where he was.

One moment he'd been dueling Voldemort in that graveyard—and somehow destroying him—and the next he'd found himself lying on a cold cement floor in absolute darkness. He thought about the last time he'd seen Cedric Diggory, watching the older student run for the TriWizard Cup, promising to come back with help. Cedric had managed to dodge the killing curses, but he had taken some hits, disappearing as he'd grabbed the cup.

Then the Death Eaters had descended on Harry, grabbing him roughly and throwing his wand far beyond his reach before McNair fired some curse at him.

That blast of light was the last thing Harry saw.

"You will pay for what you did to the Dark Lord," a cold voice hissed to Harry's right.

Harry tried to get up but he screamed in pain as he felt the bones in his legs shatter. He tried to crawl away but then he felt something hard slam into his back before he felt himself being hoisted roughly by the left arm, crying out as he felt his elbow dislocate.

He was flung against a wall, and as he landed on the floor, Harry felt his right forearm and wrist break.

"Stop…" Harry pleaded, his voice choked with sobs. "Please. D-don't…ARGHHHH!" He screamed in pain again as a furious blow was again delivered to his back and it felt as though lightning was shooting up and down his entire body.

"You think you know pain now?" Another voice said, sounding coldly amused. "Wait. Your life of agony has only begun."

Between the laughter from other Death Eaters and his own screams, Harry couldn't make out the words of the curse he was hit with before he lost consciousness.

* * *

For the first two weeks after Harry's disappearance, every single witch and wizard was looking for Harry and even the foreign magical governments were looking for any sign of the Death Eaters who had been present in the graveyard the night Voldemort was defeated.

Once Cedric had woken up, he'd told Dumbledore and an astonished Cornelius Fudge about Voldemort's rebirth and the fight between Harry Potter and the Dark Lord himself.

After touching the TriWizard Cup—which had been turned into a Portkey—Cedric and Harry had landed in an old graveyard where they had both been promptly restrained before Peter Pettigrew—also known as 'Wormtail'—used some sort of potion to resurrect Voldemort.

When Harry and Voldemort had begun dueling, Cedric used the fact that the other Death Eaters were distracted to his advantage and started trying to free himself. When Harry had managed to turn Voldemort's spells against him, Cedric got loose and ran towards the portkey, promising to get help.

The last Cedric had seen of Harry, the younger student had been on the ground, no doubt spent from his victorious duel.

"I should have tried to take Harry with me," Cedric lamented as he finished telling Fudge and Dumbledore about that night. "But the Death Eaters were firing curses at me and I knew I had to get help. I was afraid both of us would end up dead if I'd stayed."

"You did what you thought was the right thing," Dumbledore assured his student, quietly. "Now, help us find where Harry was taken. Tell us as much as you can about this ritual and Voldemort's resurrection."

With the cemetary's location known, Dumbledore led a team of aurors to the grave of Tom Riddle, but a search of the area yielded nothing except for Harry's wand which was lying, abandoned, by a headstone.

* * *

Another few weeks dragged on and after it was confirmed that Voldemort was truly gone, the search for Harry intensified. The entire wizarding world was searching for The Boy Who Lived, checking every possible place the boy might be held prisoner or any hospital—magical or muggle—he may have ended up in.

Some believed that some of the Death Eaters were hiding the boy and others assumed the worst and thought that Harry must already be dead.

However, Harry's family and friends refused to give up hope and felt certain that soon something would happen and Harry would be found.

But as May gave way to June and July grew closer, the Potters had begun to wonder if their hopes were in vain…

But Harry's disappearance was only the beginning of the troubles plaguing the Potter family as Harry's twin sister, Morgan, started feeling ill only days after her bother went missing.

x

It started as simply being short of breath and she'd done her best to dismiss the problem whenever someone tried to bring it up. But in a matter of weeks, Morgan's breathing became more and more labored, and no matter what she tried to keep the issue under control, nothing helped. To make matters worse, she'd started having problems swallowing, and her voice was becoming more and more hoarse.

The longer her illness went on, the more Morgan knew that something was wrong but the last thing she wanted to do was add to her parents' problems since they were already frantically worried about finding Harry. But she also knew that she needed to get help as none of her symptoms had been improving over time.

The only good news lately was that one of the muggle hospitals in the United States had put out a notice that they were looking for the family of a young patient who matched Harry's description. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were already talking to the local wizarding government to get the details and were set to leave for the States the day after tomorrow.

"Morgan?"

Morgan started to turn to look at her mother, who looked more worried than usual, but her vision swam and suddenly, Morgan couldn't breathe. It was worse than the other moments of respiratory distress she'd had lately. It was as if her lungs had suddenly stopped working just as her throat closed up. "Mom!" she tried to call out to her mother as she fell to the floor, but the only sound that escaped the teenager was a painful, strangled gasp.

Lily darted towards her daughter, catching her just before she hit the floor, and felt panic rising in her chest when she realized that Morgan had stopped breathing.

When James came into the room a split second later, having heard the sound of someone falling to the ground, he stopped dead when he saw that it was his daughter lying on the floor. "What happened?" James exclaimed.

"I don't know!" Lily said in a rushed voice. "She's not breathing!"

"What?" James said, quickly. He bent down and picked Morgan up in his arms and quickly apparated to the nearest hospital—Fairbotham Memorial which catered to muggles as well as witches and wizards. "I need help!" James said, urgently to one of the nurses standing nearby. "My daughter's not breathing!"

Immediately, the nurses got Morgan onto a gurney and whisked her into the emergency room just as Lily arrived. "James," Lily said, going to her husband who quickly pulled her into his arms. "What happened?"

James shook his head, bewildered. "I don't know, Lil. They just took Morgan into emergency. I mean, why'd Morgan stop breathing? Was she sick?"

Lily shook her head that she didn't know, but as she actually took a moment to think, she realized that she'd been so wrapped up with trying to find Harry she hadn't paid any attention to her daughters. And thinking back on things, she remembered that Morgan had looked peaked the past month and a half and she had been having trouble breathing and talking for a while now.

The Potters went to sit down in the waiting room as they waited for news about Morgan, both parents feeling wave after wave of guilt about not noticing that something was wrong with their younger daughter.

xxx

Surprisingly, it was only about an hour before one of the doctors came out of the ER and headed towards James and Lily.

James stood quickly, Lily next to him holding his hand and both looked incredibly anxious to hear what was wrong with their daughter. "Any news?" James asked, almost dreading the response.

The doctor, Pamela Braeden, looked grave as she studied the parents. "The good news is that we managed to get your daughter breathing again. There was a blockage in her throat so we had to do what's called a tracheotomy. Basically, it means that we cut a small hole in your daughter's throat so that we could insert a tube directly into her windpipe."

Lily looked horrified at what she'd just been told and she squeezed James' hand harder. "So what's causing the blockage?" Lily asked, trying not to think of the worst case scenarios.

Dr. Braeden didn't believe in sugarcoating bad situations and after a moment of thinking how best to explain, she replied, "We took x-rays of your daughter's chest and throat which showed several solid masses. One was pressing against her throat. The other was much larger and was invading her right lung. Your daughter's on her way up to surgery right now. We're going to remove the masses and do a biopsy."

The word 'biopsy' set off alarms in James' head. He remembered the word quite well as he'd heard it right before his father had died of terminal liver cancer. "What kinds of masses?" he asked, dreading the answer.

Lily shot her husband a look of dismay and panic before turning, open-mouthed, to the doctor.

But the doctor was reluctant to say anything definitive, even though she knew the odds of good news were slim to none. "We have to wait for the biopsy results to be certain… But the masses are solid and look deeply ingrained which is usually a sign that they're malignant."

Lily's hands flew to her mouth as she gasped and she wasn't even aware of James putting an arm around her and holding her tightly to him. "What…?" She had so many questions but for the life of her, she couldn't articulate any of them. This was what caused Morgan to stop breathing? How had this happened? Was Morgan going to die? And what would happen after the doctors and healers removed the tumors from Morgan's throat and lung?

James didn't seem to be doing any better and Lily could see the same questions in his eyes that were now running through her mind. "So…" James rubbed his face with one hand and took a deep breath before asking, "What's the best case and what's the worst case?"

Dr. Braeden knew that the Potters wanted as much information as possible but at the moment, nothing was definitive. "Without the biopsy results, I can't give you anything concrete," she cautioned. But when she saw that James and Lily just wanted to know something, she sighed. "The tumors are most likely cancerous. But you shouldn't feel too guilty about not noticing. 25% of lung cancer cases present without any major symptoms. Unfortunately, that's also why lung cancer has such a significant mortality rate."

"Okay," James said, quietly. His mouth had gone dry and his brain was going numb. "So after Morgan's surgery… what then?"

But that was the loaded question, Braeden thought, sadly. And there were quite a few factors involved. "It depends, first of all, how ingrained the tumors are," she started, finally. "Best case, we remove them and if the biopsy confirms cancer, we start your daughter on chemotherapy and radiation therapy. But the main problem—best _and_ worst case—is the fact that the main mass is interfering with Morgan's lung function."

"What does _that_ mean?" Lily asked, looking even more worried. She felt weak in the knees and she was only dimly aware of sitting back down.

Braeden looked grim as she explained. "Judging from the x-rays, the tumor in your daughter's lower right lung was spreading into the muscles which control breathing. Depending on the damage, the surgeons may need to remove part of that muscle."

Lily just took a few deep breaths as she tried to take in everything she'd just been told. Between Harry's kidnapping and Morgan's illness, Lily wasn't sure how much more bad news she could handle.

"But if you remove the muscle," James said, squeezing his wife's hand as she fell silent. "—what about…?"

The doctor went on. "Right now Morgan is on a ventilator." Catching James' confused look, she explained. "It's a machine that's essentially acting as her lungs and breathing for her." After a long pause, Braeden added, "If the tumor has infiltrated Morgan's diaphragm—that's the muscle group that controls her breathing—too much, she'll have to stay on the ventilator indefinitely."

"So…" Lily said, her voice catching in her throat. "So, the… the tracheotomy tube and ventilator would… It'd be permanent?" Thinking of the machines her daughter was now dependant on, she asked, "Is Morgan going to be in the hospital indefinitely? How…?"

Braeden shook her head at the last question. "Morgan would be using a portable ventilator. The device is no bigger than your average knapsack. And eventually, she'll be able to go back to school same as before. But again, that's only the worst case. If the infiltration isn't too severe and the tumors can be removed without further damage to your daughter's lungs and trachea, she will eventually be able to get off the ventilator in a few months or even weeks, and we might even be able to remove the trach tube."

James and Lily just sat there for a moment, letting everything sink in as once again, they found their lives being ripped apart.

* * *

 _Pinckney General Hospital_

 _Pinckney, Michigan_

 _36 Hours Later_

 _x_

For Dr. Marla Corman, there was nothing more heartbreaking than pediatric John Does. The idea that a child or teenager was in the hospital in a serious condition with no one aware that they were there was a terrible thing, indeed.

Sometimes the identity of a patient was unknown because the young person in question was unconscious or they couldn't remember their own name.

More than once, someone remained unknown to avoid being found out by a parent.

But the young man currently in Dr. Corman's care was in the third group of unknowns—those patients whose injuries made communication and identification incredibly difficult.

The teenager had been found in the woods by a group of hikers and had been brought in barely alive. He remained unconscious for nearly a month before finally regaining consciousness, but the extent of his injuries made things complicated.

After nearly a month, however, Corman had finally received word that a family in England had reported their son missing and preliminary descriptions matched her John Doe. Walking briskly down the hall towards the front desk, she saw a tall, thin man with brown hair waiting nervously.

Figuring that this was the family friend she'd been told to expect, she held out a hand as she approached him. "Remus Lupin? I'm Dr. Corman."

"Thanks for seeing me," Remus replied, shaking the woman's hand. "I realize it's a bit late, but my plane was delayed."

"Well, if you know who my mystery patient is," Corman replied. "—I'll be the one thanking you." She led Remus upstairs and to the Pediatric ICU. Pausing outside one of the rooms, she turned to face her companion as she said, "I have to warn you, the poor boy's in very bad shape. When he was brought in, both his legs were badly crushed. Unfortunately, his right leg was beyond repair and there were several open fractures which were severely infected. We had to amputate the entire limb about three quarters of the way up his thigh."

Remus looked shocked at that news and he seemed to be thinking of any scars or identifying marks which could confirm the teenager's identity. Finally, he asked, "Did you find an—an odd scar on his forehead? Like a lightning bolt?"

It was the first thing she'd noticed when the boy came into the emergency room. She'd wondered what could have caused such a curiously shaped cut. Dr. Corman nodded in confirmation. "Yes, we did. So, this is…?" It would be nice to finally learn her patient's name.

"His name is Harry," Remus said, feeling both relief that the boy had finally been found, but also forboding at what the teenager's other injuries were. "Harry Potter. He's my best friend's son."

Corman looked rueful about giving Remus the rest of the report, but she knew she had to prepare him for seeing Harry's condition. "Well, as I said, we were able to save Harry's left leg, but how much function he regains isn't clear right now."

"Is that the worst of Harry's injuries?" Remus wanted to know, although he sincerely doubted that it was.

"No… Far from," Corman went on. After a moment, she opened the door to Harry's room and led Remus inside.

Harry's left leg was in a cast and traction rig and he wore a back and neck brace as well. His right arm was in a cast up to his shoulder and suspended in a cradle system and his left arm was missing halfway between his elbow and shoulder. There were bandages over Harry's left eye and across the left side of his face. There was also a tube inserted directly into Harry's throat and he was hooked up to several IVs which were feeding him various medicines and painkillers.

Remus didn't know what to say as he studied Harry's still form, but when Harry's right eye opened, he stepped forward. "Harry? It's Remus." Going next to the bed, he saw that Harry wasn't actually looking at him and that the eye was unfocused.

Looking at the teenager's injuries, Remus thought quickly about how he was going to get Harry out of here and to the nearest wizarding hospital. The healers could regrow Harry's arm and leg and repair the other injuries, but because of the fact that Harry had already been treated by the muggle doctors, the healing time could be longer than normal. For some unknown reason, that was usually the case when magic was used on an already healing injury.

"He can hear you," Corman informed Remus as he studied the teenager. "But he can't see you. Harry came in with damage to his optic nerves and someone hit him in the left side of his face so hard it caused a cheekbone fracture and damaged his left eye so badly we had to remove it."

Remus sat down next to Harry's bed, putting a hand on what was left of Harry's left arm. Studying the back and neck brace, he asked, "His spine was injured as well, I take it?"

Nodding, Corman replied, "Harry's back was broken in 4 places. Right now he's paralyzed from the chest down. That's why he's on the ventilator. He can't breathe on his own. The good news is that none of the damage to Harry's spinal cord is permanent so there is a possibility of him regaining some use of his body."

Hearing what the doctor wasn't saying outright—no doubt because she didn't want to rob Harry of whatever hopes he had—Remus excused himself to Harry and stood, heading out of the room with Dr. Corman and closing the door behind them. "It's not likely Harry will recover?"

"Even if Harry's spine heals completely," Corman warned. "Harry will still have to learn to deal with not being able to see, missing an arm _and_ a leg, and having limited use of his remaining limbs. He's going to need help for the rest of his life." Thinking about Harry's parents, she asked, "How soon will Harry's family be able to get here?" Corman asked, curiously. "I'm sure they're eager to hear about his condition."

"It may be several days," Remus replied, sadly, thinking about the latest news from James and Lily. "Harry's twin sister, Morgan, was just diagnosed with lung cancer. The doctors just removed multiple tumors from her right lung and throat and she'll be recovering for several weeks before starting the cancer treatments."

Dr. Corman couldn't help the look of extreme dismay she wore and she immediately wished she had better news for the Potter family. It was bad enough that their daughter was facing a critical—potentially fatal—illness, but their son was severely injured and would have to learn to live with several permanent disabilities. "Well, please let me know as soon as you hear from them," Corman replied.

Remus agreed and as he thought of the plan to get Harry back to England, a problem suddenly occurred to him. Namely, was it currently safe to transport Harry to another hospital with his injuries? Voicing the question out loud, he was surprised when the doctor thought a moment instead of saying 'no' outright.

"I wouldn't really recommend transferring Harry just now," Corman said, cautiously. "But if that's what you want, it can be arranged. However, I would like to keep him _here_ for a minimum of one more week, just to be safe.""

"As soon as possible, then, please," Remus agreed, wishing he could get Harry to a wizarding medical facility sooner. Still, the last thing he wanted was for his impatience to cause Harry further harm.

Dr. Corman didn't like the idea of sending Harry to another hospital at all. Between Harry's broken bones, the amputated limbs, and the damage to the teenager's spinal cord, she had serious misgivings about her patient going anywhere right now. But when Remus Lupin handed her the consent forms sighed by James and Lily Potter giving Remus authority to make any medical decisions regarding Harry, she knew she didn't have a choice.

Handing the forms to a nurse to be filed with the rest of Harry's paperwork, Dr. Corman said, "Let me know where you want Harry transferred to. It will take us a day or two to get Harry prepped and there are special procedures we should follow."

Looking puzzled, Remus asked, "What sorts of procedures?"

Corman glanced in the direction of Harry's room. "We'll have to make sure Harry is properly secured on the stretcher before he's loaded into the ambulance. We don't want to jar his spinal cord since, though he's healing very nicely, that could cause further injury. We also have to make sure his left leg is properly supported." Thinking for a moment, she added, "I have to warn you that, no matter how careful the paramedics are, the trip will be incredibly painful for Harry if he is awake. The better choice would be for us to sedate him here, then let him wake up in the new facility."

Remus nodded in agreement and instructed Harry's doctor to make the necessary arrangements before he headed out to contact the nearest wizarding hospital so they would be prepared to receive Harry in a week or so.


	2. Chapter 2

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So while I'm not going to be as evil to Harry as I have been in past stories, he's not walking away unscathed.

Also, the later part of this chapter deals with the reason Ardelia doesn't speak, and while it is not graphic, it is very dark subject matter concerning the sexual assault of a very young child. You have been warned.

* * *

 _Fairbotham Memorial Hospital_

 _Shrewsbury, England_

Morgan slept for nearly two days straight after the surgery to remove the tumors from her lungs and throat, and when she finally woke up, her lower chest ached and her neck hurt with even the slightest movement. Seeing her mother sitting by the bed, Morgan tried to give her a smile, but it ended up more like a wince. She tried to talk but her voice was gone.

"Easy, honey," Lily cautioned, as she stood so she was in visual range of her daughter. "You're not going to be able to talk for… for a good while."

Morgan gave the slightest nod as her mother adjusted the hospital bed so she was sitting up. Seeing the tube that was protruding from her throat, Morgan raised both hands and signed, **'What's wrong with me?'** It was strange to her to be 'talking' to her mother like this. She could still remember when she was a child and hadn't understood why she and the rest of her family had to learn sign language when Ari was the one who didn't talk. But now it seemed that Morgan would also need to use her hands to communicate if she couldn't speak normally.

Before James and Sirius had left for the States to see Harry, James and Lily had talked for several hours about the best way to tell Morgan about what was wrong with her as well as what was going on with Harry. Lily had wanted to put off the discussion at least a day or two so Morgan could at least recover a bit from her surgery before dealing with everything else, but James had said that Morgan would want to know and was likely to be impatient waiting for answers and after a while, Lily had agreed, promising to tell their daughter when she woke up.

When Morgan repeated the question, looking scared as she saw how quiet her mother was being, Lily slowly sat down on the edge of her daughter's bed and wished she didn't have to give the terrible news to her child. Every instinct within her wanted to shield Morgan the bad news but she also knew that she had to do it. "You have lung cancer," Lily said, finally, her heart breaking at the expression on her little girl's face. "You stopped breathing because of tumors in your lungs and throat. The doctors removed them and the healers did what they could for the damage done, but…"

' **But what?'** Morgan asked. If it weren't for the machines breathing for her, she probably would have stopped breathing for a second time. Cancer… Just saying the word in her head was too much. For a moment, the only sounds in the room were the beeping of the machines and the soft, steady hiss of the ventilator.

When Morgan had come out of surgery and the operating surgeon had come into the waiting room where James and Lily were sitting, Lily listened with heartbreaking disbelief as the doctor reported on the procedure.

The tumor in Morgan's throat had been removed fairly easily but the surgeons had had to cut extremely close to her vocal cords and there was a high probability of permanent damage. It would be some time before the doctors could tell whether Morgan would still be able to speak.

While the cancer had _not_ invaded her diaphragm too badly—the consulting oncologist believed that the chemotherapy and radiation therapy would take care of any lingering malignant cells in that area—Morgan's lungs themselves hadn't fared well at all. One tumor had deeply invaded her right lung and—upon closer inspection—another large mass had developed in her left lung as well. The surgeons had been forced to remove nearly half of Morgan's right lung and the smaller lobe of her left in order to remove as much of the tumors as possible.

Lily explained the surgery and resulting complications to her daughter as best she could and tried not to let Morgan see just how crushed she felt about everything. When Morgan reached up a hand to wipe the tears welling up in her eyes, she bumped the tube protruding from her nose and looked scared as she realized that the tube went all the way down her throat. **'Mum, what's…? What** _ **is**_ **this thing?'** she asked, horrified, as she felt a strong desire to pull the tube out.

Lily pulled her daughter's hand away from the tube as she explained. "It's called a nasogastric tube. Because of the surgery to remove the tumor from your throat, you can't swallow anything more than water right now. So the doctors and healers are using that tube to give you a nutritional formula. Hopefully, it'll be removed in a couple weeks."

Morgan looked from her mother to the ventilator that was breathing for her… the machine that was now likely going to be a permanent part of her life. It took a few minutes before she finally asked, **'So what happens to me now?'**

"Well," Lily started with a deep sigh. "Next week, the doctors are going to put in a central line to make the chemotherapy treatments easier. Then you'll start the radiation and chemo a few days after that." It all sounded so easy, but in truth, it was far from. And she hadn't had the heart to tell Morgan that—depending on how she responded to the chemotherapy drugs—the NG tube might become a long term thing in order to avoid malnutrition complications.

Morgan signed that she understood what her mother had told her as her mind scrambled for a distraction from her own problems. Remembering that Remus was following up on a lead about her brother, she asked, **'What about Harry? Did you find him? Is he okay? Where is he?'**

Lily's look of relief was fleeting, but she replied, "We found Harry." When Morgan started to run through the questions list again, she quickly went on. "He was in a muggle hospital in Pinckney, Michigan in the United States. He was badly hurt, but hopefully he'll be home soon."

' **How bad was Harry hurt?'** Morgan asked, worried. Just the idea that Harry was in a hospital was bad enough but it had been two months since Harry had disappeared. So he had to have been in the hospital for at least half that time. When her mother didn't reply, Morgan asked again. **'Mum, how bad was Harry hurt?'**

* * *

 _Martinelli Wizarding Hospital_

 _Howell, Michigan_

The sounds of beeping and indistinct voices were what greeted Harry as he emerged from unconsciousness. He blinked his remaining eye, but his world was presently still one of total darkness.

"Harry? Harry, can you hear me?"

His father's voice was muffled at first, but eventually became clear. Feeling that the back and neck brace was gone, Harry slowly nodded that he could hear his dad, but when he tried to respond, he found that his voice was gone.

A warm glow slowly started spreading across Harry's face and after a few moments, the darkness gave way to light and a minute or two later, he could see again. Everything was still a bit fuzzy without his glasses and by the fact that half of the room was still in darkness, Harry deduced that he was still missing his left eye. Looking around the room as best he could, he saw that he was in a hospital and two healers stood next to the bed, working on his broken body while his father and godfather stood nearby.

The cast the muggle doctors had put on Harry's arm was still present, as was the cast on his left leg, but, thankfully, the back and neck brace which helping to keep his spine immobilized was gone. Still, Harry felt his stomach churn viciously when he saw that his left arm and entire right leg were still missing.

"Just relax, Harry," James told his son, calmly. "The healers wanted to take care of the broken bones before attempting to regrow your arm and leg."

Harry looked again at his missing limbs and just nodded silently. But when one of the healers put a hand on what remained of his left arm, Harry suddenly flashed back to when one of the Death Eaters had first broken it. He remembered someone grabbing his arm roughly and pulling him up, dislocating his elbow in the process.

For days he'd lain on the floor as the Death Eaters continued the torture…Somewhere during that time, Harry thought he remembered trying to use wandless magic to sever his arm, but his right arm wasn't in good shape, either.

James watched Harry recoil from the healer's touch and went to his son's side, calmly putting a hand on his shoulder. _"What did those bloody bastards_ do _to you, Harry?"_ James thought as he said aloud, "Harry, you're okay. You're safe now. No one's going to hurt you."

It was hours before Harry finally stopped flinching every time one of the healers touched him, but eventually, he started to calm down a little, and he finally noticed that—although the back and neck brace was gone—he was still on the ventilator and he was still unable to feel anything from his chest down.

"It will be a while before you're able to breathe or feel anything below your shoulders," Sirius warned as one of the healers started working on the fractures to Harry's leg. "The Death Eaters used some particularly nasty dark magic to keep you from healing properly. You've got a long road ahead of you, I'm afraid."

Harry nodded that he understood and even though he couldn't speak, he mouthed the words, _"Why can't I talk? What happened to my voice?"_

Sirius sat down next to Harry's hospital bed, looking grim. "Someone used a curse on you which severely scarred your vocal cords. It was dark magic that, frankly, I have never seen before. I don't know if it can be reversed."

James sat on the other side and when Harry turned his head to look at him, he said, "The healers aren't going to be able to fix everything, son. They're going to do what they can, but you're going to have to live with some disabilities."

" _At least I'm alive,"_ Harry mouthed, trying to sound optimistic. Somehow, he managed not to wince too hard when his father and godfather hugged him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It took more than two days to heal Harry's spinal cord and regrow his right leg, but the healers were still unable to regrow the teenager's arm and eye.

And while Harry was able to move his legs again, he had reduced mobility in his left leg. The healers advised that Harry would probably require some sort of brace and would need to use some sort of crutch or cane to walk.

Still, Harry thought as he took a deep breath, trying to relax, it was better than his situation a month ago.

First, there had been the torture, made worse by the Death Eaters blinding him before starting in on him.

Then there had been the first time he'd woken up in the muggle hospital. The doctors telling him he'd lost his arm and leg and that the blows to his back had caused permanent nerve damage to his spine, paralyzing him from the chest down… that his right arm would likely never be the same again and he'd be stuck in a wheelchair the rest of his life, almost completely dependent on others to take care of him.

Looking at his missing arm, Harry found that he didn't care about that. True, it would make things harder when he finally managed to get to walking again, but there was the prospect of a prosthetic to be considered. And even if he had trouble walking and was missing his eye, it still beat the idea of being paralyzed from the chest down and having limited use of his only arm.

The door to the room opened and Harry sat up quickly when Ardelia came in, giving her brother a big smile and an ever bigger hug. **'Hey, Harry,'** Ari signed as she sat on Harry's bed. **'How are you feeling?'** Studying her brother for a moment, she added, **'You look good. Mum and Dad told me how bad you were hurt and about the dark magic used on you. I thought you'd be in worse shape.'**

' **Yeah, the healers did good work,'** Harry agreed. Thinking on the question of how he felt, he frowned slightly before he eventually signed back, **'I'm happy to be alive… But I'm still a little terrified…'**

Ari just nodded, not even asking what Harry was terrified of. **'Nightmares?'** She asked, knowingly. When Harry nodded silently, she added, **'Flashbacks… panic attacks?'**

Harry just stared for a moment at his sister and he finally asked, **'Ari… what happened to you that night?'**

Ardelia's gaze grew haunted as she thought back to the night Voldemort had attacked her family. Even as she got older, she still couldn't talk about what had happened to her—either verbally or in sign language. It had been something that, at 3 years old, she'd never been able to fully understand. Not that she hadn't tried. But all she could remember was Voldemort's face and another man wearing a hooded cloak and a mask coming closer and closer, a hand reaching out to hurt her… **'I can't tell you, Harry,'** Ari replied. **'I want to, really. I remember bits and pieces, but… I just can't say what happened. It's like my brain just blocked out that part.'**

' **I wish I could block out what happened to me,'** Harry replied with a wistful expression on his face. When Ari reached forward and put her hand on his, Harry was surprised when he didn't flinch. But after a while, he withdrew his hand from his sister's and said, **'After I destroyed Voldemort, one of the Death Eaters hit me with some spell, knocking me unconscious. When I woke up, I couldn't see a thing. I was beaten… they broke both my arms and my legs… they fractured my spine… I was totally blind, but I remember every second of pain and torture I experienced.'**

Ardelia leaned forward and hugged her little brother tightly, tears falling down her face when Harry held onto her, shaking as he started sobbing.

It was a while before Harry calmed down and although Ari asked if he wanted to avoid talking about what happened, Harry shook his head. Instead of talking about his attack, he turned the focus to his current condition. **'The healers weren't able to regrow my arm or my eye. And walking is going to be hard since my leg is still bad.'** Touching the stump where his arm had been, Harry couldn't believe the limb was really gone. It felt weird being without a part of his body that had been with him forever. The same with his eye. When he said as much to his sister and showed her the empty socket where his eye had been, Harry tried to keep from crying again.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When James went into Harry's hospital room later that night, he couldn't help but smile as he saw Ardelia asleep in her brother's hospital bed, one arm wrapped around him protectively.

Once Ari had stopped talking, James had been worried about how his oldest daughter would get along with her siblings. But for some strange yet wonderful reason, Ardelia's silence just served to bond the three children even more. Morgan and Harry knew they could tell their older sister anything and when the two had nightmares, they would fall back asleep almost instantly as soon as Ari lay down with them.

Watching his son and daughter, James knew it would be a long time before Harry got over what had happened to him the past few months. But hopefully, now that Harry was home and safe with his family, he could start dealing with the nightmares of his ordeal.

As far has Harry's physical recovery, magical blocks had been discovered on Harry's left leg, left arm, and left eye. The blocks, one healer explained, were preventing Harry's leg from being healed completely and any attempts at regeneration of his arm and eye. The blocks were the results of dark magic and, if not removed within 24 hours of application, resulted quite often in permanent injuries.

Turning his gaze from his only son to his elder daughter, James wished that the rest of his family could be there to help Harry through this difficult time, but knew that it was impossible at the present time. Morgan's oncologist and surgeons had refused to let her leave the hospital and Lily hadn't wanted to leave her side, especially so soon after the surgery.

Thinking of his three children, James settled himself into an armchair in one corner of the room, frowning slightly as he watched Ari and Harry. Between the complications of Morgan's cancer surgery and the curse placed upon Harry by the Death Eaters, James realized that, in all likelihood, he'd never hear his son or daughter's voices again.

Leaning back in the chair, his thoughts running rampant, James barely registered his eyes closing before exhaustion took over him and he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 _Ministry of Magic_

 _London, England_

 _1 week later_

It had taken a while to track down the Death Eaters that had taken Harry Potter from the graveyard, but once the Aurors had done so, they immediately went to work interrogating the perpetrators to try and get the details of the circumstances. Of course, when threatened with Azkaban, most of the Death Eaters—including Lucius Malfoy—folded fairly quickly, confessing a great deal of secrets about not only the Death Eaters but about the attack on the Potters 13 years ago.

Over the years, Severus Snape had heard rumors about what happened the night of October 31st, 1981 that had left Ardelia Kristine Potter without her voice. The common theory was that the poor child had simply been scared into permanent silence.

But as years went by, whispers started spreading that Voldemort hadn't been alone when he'd gone to Godric's Hollow and whoever the second person had been, they had done something horrible to Ardelia who had fallen silent as a result.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As he stood outside Morgan Potter's hospital room, looking inside at the younger Potter daughter and Lily, Snape wished he didn't have to be there. Lily had been dealing with so much already and adding to her problems hardly seemed like something a former friend would do. But Lily deserved to know and Snape knew that he had to be the one to tell her.

"What are you doing here, Severus?" Lily asked as she came out of the room, closing the door behind her. She had seen the potions master in the hallway earlier and she didn't know why he was there as the two of them had had a falling out as friends back when they were students at Hogwarts.

But perhaps Snape was there in a professional manner, consulting with Morgan's oncologist about the teenager's treatment or any potions or medications to help counter side effects.

Snape paused for a moment and then led Lily just out of view of the window before he started speaking. He knew that Morgan—like her brother and older sister—was highly adept at reading lips and didn't want the young girl to find out about her sister second hand. Keeping his voice down, he reported, "The Death Eaters who captured your son were questioned and some rather atrocious facts about 13 years ago have come to light."

Of all the ways Lily imagined the start of the conversation, that had caught her off guard. Why was Snape bringing up the past? She remembered that night with startling clarity. It was impossible to forget, after all. Voldemort had found her family after they had been betrayed by Peter Pettigrew and Voldemort had sent James crashing into the nearest wall before going after Morgan and Harry in the nursery. Lily had told Ardelia to stay in her room, lock the door, and not to come out for any reason.

Voldemort had turned his wand on Lily and the twins and after rendering Lily unconscious, Voldemort had tried to kill Harry and Morgan which had backfired. Harry had ended up only with a lightning shaped cut on his forehead and Morgan wasn't harmed at all.

When Lily had finally woken up, she ran to check on Ardelia while James tended to the twins. Ari had been huddled in her closet, wrapped up in the sheet on her bed and only whimpered quietly when her mother picked her up.

The next day, as the Potter family regrouped in Sirius Black's small house nearby, they wondered why Ardelia hadn't said a word. She hadn't even really cried.

Looking at Snape, Lily didn't like the look on his face. It was the look of someone who had found out something heinous and was torn between wanting to tell her and wanting to spare her the truth."Severus… what do you know?"

Snape sighed resignedly and asked, "When the muggle doctors and healers examined Ardelia after the Dark Lord's attack that night, did they do a full examination of your daughter?"

Lily didn't know what exactly Snape was asking, but she shrugged. The first thing she'd wanted to do was take her children to hospital to make sure Voldemort's curse didn't have any side effects and why Ardelia hadn't said anything. But even after 3 days being examined, all three Potter children were deemed in good health. "Well… yes, of course. She had a couple bruises, but…" She thought back, her mind running through dozens of possible situations and noticing how twitchy Snape was being, she felt her heart plummet and her stomach turn over violently. She hadn't even considered the possibility until now. "Did Vol—Did he…?"

"Not Voldemort," Snape corrected, swiftly, seeing the line of thought in Lily's eyes. "Another Death Eater who accompanied him. He… He was dispatched during the apprehension of Harry's attackers."

Lily tried to fight the urge to vomit and she pressed a hand to her mouth, closing her eyes as the truth slammed her hard. Of all the reasons she'd thought of over the years as to why Ari remained mute, the idea of someone sexually assaulting the child had never come to mind. Lowering her hand slowly, Lily looked at Snape, horror in her eyes, and said, "A Death Eater attacked— _molested_ —my little girl?" Her stomach churned violently and Lily ran for the bathroom, just making it to the nearest toilet before dropping to her knees and throwing up.

God, it made so much sense now. After that night, Ari had seemed to shut down for years. She wouldn't talk to anyone and for the first few years afterwards, she flinched whenever someone touched her. Ardelia had been only three at the time—there was no way she would have been able to fend off her attacker or even comprehend what was happening to her. There had been 8 hours between when Voldemort and his mystery companion had arrived and when Hagrid and Sirius had arrived… Lily suddenly vomited again as she thought about what Ari had been through during that time.

When it felt like there was nothing left in her stomach to throw up, Lily spat to get the last bit out of her mouth before slowly getting to her feet and going over to the sink to rinse the taste out of her mouth. Leaning against the sink, she dropped her head as she started to cry. She felt like the worst mother in the world. How could she have not known about this? More importantly, how could Ardelia not have told her?

No, Lily thought, resolutely, shaking her head. None of this was Ardelia's fault. She'd been 3 at the time. There had been no way she would have understood what had happened to her, or even that it was wrong.

A tentative knock on the bathroom door made her jump and she whirled around to see James coming in, looking concerned. Lily didn't even say a word as she threw herself into her husband's arms, feeling him hold her tight as she continued to cry.

xx

As soon as James, Ardelia, and Harry returned to England, James had wanted to take Harry home immediately to rest, but the teenager had insisted on seeing his twin sister first. After very little argument, James agreed and a short time later, the trio entered Fairbotham Hospital, Harry seated in a wheelchair, his left leg in a full length brace and propped up on the footrest.

When Ardelia, James, and Harry got to the oncology ward where Morgan was, they were surprised to see Severus Snape outside the hospital room, looking rather distressed.

"Where's Lily?" James asked, confused, as Ari and Harry went in to see Morgan who quickly started to talk to her siblings in sign language.

"Bathroom," Snape replied, simply, turning so that his back was facing the window. When he caught James Potter's questioning look, he balked at the idea of telling James about what had happened to Ari. Lily had acted about how Snape had expected, but James was far more hotheaded and would likely to go to the Ministry of Magic to find and personally punish the fiend who had attacked his daughter, even though the perpetrator was already dead.

"What are you doing here?" James asked, curiously, as the presence of his old school rival wasn't what he'd expected.

Snape straightened and decided to bite the bullet. "It's about what happened to Ardelia when she was a child…"

x

Ardelia and Harry sat on either side of Morgan, neither able to look away from the trach tube in their sister's throat and the ventilator she was hooked up to. **'So… what are the doctors saying?'** Ari signed, looking at the bandage on Morgan's neck, the NG tube, and the bandages on her chest.

' **About my lungs and throat or the cancer?'** Morgan asked, before reaching up to touch the central line inserted just below her clavicle. **'My lungs are bad. Because of how much the surgeons took, they don't think I'd be able to breathe off the ventilator. So even once I finish with the radiation and chemo, I'll have to be on a portable vent.'**

' **How long are you in treatment for?'** Harry asked, thinking about when school started up again in September. Would Morgan be able to return to Hogwarts when the new term started?

Morgan was a bit surprised at the fact that her brother was sticking with signing, but then she remembered what her mother had said about some of the curses used on Harry—one of which had destroyed his vocal cords. **'Radiation therapy 5 days a week, chemotherapy for the other two days and that goes for a full 10 weeks. The worst part is I'm stuck in the hospital until it's over.'**

Ari and Harry exchanged the briefest of looks. For the past 13 years, neither Ardelia, Harry, nor Morgan had ever had any serious illnesses. The occasional cold or flu, sure, and all three had chicken pox when they were little—but never had any of them been this sick. As they sat in silence, looking at their sister, Harry and Ari couldn't tear their eyes away from the tube coming out of Morgan's throat and leading to the machine that was keeping her alive.

Glancing out the window briefly, Harry started when he saw his father slamming Snape against the window, splintering the glass. Ari leapt up from her spot on the edge of Morgan's bed and she looked worried when she saw the almost homicidal look on their father's face.

Morgan sat bolt upright, her face contorted in pain as her stitches pulled, sharply. **'What the Hell…?'**

Ari signaled Harry to stay put and she dashed out of the room, staring in disbelief as her father kept Snape pinned against the window, one hand around the Potions Master's throat. She immediately went to James, trying to pull him off of Snape but her father wouldn't budge. Ari stared, wide-eyed, wondering what could have happened that would make her father feel the need to choke the life out of Snape. She had to stop him!

Taking a deep breath, she tried to get her voice to work, but she could only mouth the word silently. But Ari wasn't deterred and after another deep breath, she managed to speak.

"Stop."

James froze and turned to look at his oldest daughter in stunned disbelief. The word had been the faintest whisper but somehow, it seemed to be the most amazing sound he'd ever heard in his life and something he'd started thinking that he'd never hear again.

"Dad, stop," Ari spoke again, her voice weak, even though she tried to say the words as loudly as she could. It hurt her throat after being silent for so long, but she didn't care. If hearing her speak out loud was what it took to snap her father out of it, she'd do what she had to.

James looked from his daughter to Snape and back again before letting the other man go and hugging Ardelia tightly, crying with tears of joy. But after a while, he pulled away slightly and the look on his face shifted to one of pained anguish as he said, "I am so sorry, Ardelia. I didn't know."

' **Know what?'** Ari signed as her throat sore from her brief bout of verbal communication. She looked at her father and her mother who had come running over before looking at Snape again. Ari saw the looks on their faces and after thinking for a moment, she felt her stomach turn when she realized that they were talking about 13 years ago. **'You mean what happened to me when I was little?'** She asked, looking from one adult to the other. **'I want to know.'** But when no one responded, she took a deep breath and said aloud, "I need to know."

x

In Morgan's room, Harry and Morgan watched as their parents and Snape spoke to Ardelia. Their mother looked like she was going to vomit and she was crying and their dad looked like he wanted to bust heads while Snape looked calm as always, although there was a sadness about him that was astoundingly out of character.

But it was Ardelia's face that was most startling. She truly looked like she was going to be sick, she'd gone pale, and tears streamed down her face. When James and Lily went to touch her, she withdrew quickly, as though she didn't want to be touched.

A moment later, though, Ari dashed to a nearby trash bin, throwing up and crying. Lily stood next to her daughter and the two cried as Ari hugged her mother tightly.

Harry and Morgan didn't have the slightest idea what might have been said since the door was closed and they didn't have the best angle to read anyone's lips, but both of them wondered.


	3. Chapter 3

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This chapter picks up immediately after the previous one, FYI.

Also, I know this story has been pretty dark, even by my standards, but I think I did okay ending this story on a positive note. I WILL be writing a sequel, so if anyone has suggestions about what they might want to see, please let me know. I am going to be writing the next story with a more upbeat tone, just so you know.

Chapter 3

* * *

Ardelia had needed to get away for a while after hearing what had happened to her that Halloween night so long ago and before anyone could stop her, she headed up the stairs of the hospital and went out to the rooftop garden, stopping next to a row of beautiful roses as she felt the tears rushing up again. Sinking to the ground, she sat with her back to the roses and brought her legs up to her chest, hugging her knees.

She just wanted all this to go away. She wanted Harry to be the same happy kid he was before the Death Eaters took him… She wanted Morgan to be healthy and whole again, breathing on her own instead of relying on some machine to breathe for her…

And Ari wanted to go back to not knowing what had happened to her because now that she did, memories came flooding back and she remembered that night. She remembered the Death Eater touching her as he pulled her clothes off while quietly hushing her and telling her it was okay—that she didn't need to cry, didn't need to scream…

' _I need to know,'_ she'd said, and a part of her had wanted to know. The vague memories Ari'd had in the past haunted her for years and she'd often felt that if she knew what exactly what she'd been through, it would make things easier.

Instead, it just made things worse.

Leaning her head back and closing her eyes, Ari tried to push everything back down in the dark recesses of her memory. Her sister was sick and her brother needed her help. She had to focus on her family and try to deal with her past on her own. She'd talk about it if she had to, but it was her past, and if it could be avoided, that was for the best.

Opening her eyes, she sighed and slowly she got to her feet and headed for the stairs.

* * *

For Morgan, it was amazing at how quickly she had grown used to the soft, steady hiss of the ventilator. Even in just the past few weeks, the sound had gone from keeping her awake all night to gently lulling her into a surprisingly peaceful slumber.

The nasogastric tube was still in place as she was still having trouble swallowing anything other than liquids, and it made getting her necessary nutritional intake easier.

And while her hair had started thinning and becoming limp, it hadn't started falling out as of yet.

But those bright sides didn't make up for the side effects of the radiation and chemo treatments. The area of Morgan's lower chest and neck where she'd been receiving the radiation therapy had already become red and itchy and nausea was a regular occurrence, although Morgan had been lucky that she hadn't actually thrown up yet.

However, she was just starting treatment and it was sure to get worse before it got better.

Hearing someone knock at the doorway of her hospital room, Morgan looked up and saw Ardelia standing there. **'Come on in,'** she signed to her older sister, waving her into the room. **'Mum and Dad went to get something to eat in the coffee shop and Harry's in physical therapy.'**

Ari walked into the room and sat down on her sister's bed and after a while, she asked, **'Did they tell you about what happened? To me when I was little?'** When Morgan nodded, Ari sighed and took a moment before adding, **'I don't know how I'm supposed to live with this. I've been trying to focus on you and Harry, but when I think about what happened…'**

Morgan was quiet for a while and after a few seconds she took her big sister's hand and gave it a squeeze. **'You were 3 years old,'** Morgan reminded Ari. **'It happened and you didn't know what to do back then. Now that you** _ **do**_ **know, you can either hide or you can move on.'** Instantly, she regretted her phrasing as her sister bristled at the words.

Ari stared in disbelief at her younger sister. _'Did she_ really _just say what I think she said? '_ Move on'? _'_ This wasn't something you could just push to the side, even though Ai had been doing her best to do just that. **'I can't just move on! How am I supposed to even do that? I just wish I could go back to not knowing what happened that night.'**

The sisters just sat for a while but finally, Morgan asked the question she'd been holding onto for weeks, ever since she'd found out about had happened all those years ago. **'Why did you stop talking after that night?'**

Ardelia was caught off guard by the question and for the first time she really thought about it. Looking down at her hands, she thought of how for the past 12 years they had been her means of communicating. But why? Because the night her family was attacked, not only had that Death Eater stolen her innocence, but he'd taken her voice as well. **'I don't know,'** she answered. When Morgan looked confused, Ari sighed and tried to think of the best way to explain. **'I just… shut down. I was scared. I didn't understand what had happened to me. I just couldn't articulate what I went through. I couldn't find the words. And I didn't want to talk about it because I didn't want someone finding out. So I guess I just stopped talking all together.'**

Morgan considered that for a while and she shifted her position in bed, wincing as the stitches in her lower chest and neck pulled. Waving off Ari who tried to help, Morgan said, **'I'm worried about Harry. He hasn't talked to me, Mum, or Dad about what the Death Eaters did to him.'** Giving her sister a pointed look, she added, **'Maybe you should talk to him.'**

' **And say what?'** Ari asked, not sure what difference it would make. ' **"It'll get better"? You have no idea what it feels like to be physically assaulted or violated!'**

Morgan bristled at that and she angrily signed back, **'I don't understand physical trauma?'** She pointed at her throat and the tube leading to the ventilator and the NG tube up her nose. **'I had a bloody hole cut in my throat and a tube inserted so I could breathe! I had surgeons cut out half of one of my lungs and part of another. I have another tube going from my nose to my stomach keeping me fed because I can barely swallow. I will** _ **never**_ **be able to get off this ventilator! And to make things even worse, I still have nearly two months of cancer treatments left!'**

Ari stopped at that and she instantly felt the guilt rising up as she looked at her younger sister. Amending her statement, she clarified, **'I'm sorry. I know you've been through a lot. I just meant that you've never been… sexually assaulted.'** Even though she hadn't said it aloud, just signing the words made her feel uncomfortable. Seeing Morgan still giving her a glare, Ari sighed again. **'I got wrapped up in my own problems for a moment and I am really, really sorry. You're right. What happened to me was 14 years ago and it was something I had no control over. I just need to deal with it.'**

' **I'm sorry, too,'** Morgan replied with a sad smile. Running a hand through her frizzy black hair, she added, **'Ever since Mum told me I had cancer I just… I didn't know what to think or say… If I hadn't been on the ventilator I probably would have stopped breathing when she told me the news.'** Looking at the various tubes she was attached to, she felt tears well up in her eyes as she added, **'I just hate being so sick and I hate that there's nothing magic can do to help speed things up.'**

It was a question Ardelia wanted to know the answer to but at the same time, she was afraid to know. But at the same time the question had been bugging her for the past few months—ever since Lily had called from the hospital after Morgan had collapsed. Looking at her sister, Ari asked, **'Did the doctors say how long you've been sick?'**

Morgan looked away, not wanting to meet her sister's eyes. Yes, the oncologist had gone through the timeline of the cancer that had taken over her body. And Morgan had been shocked at what she'd been told. The cancer had started to develop back in January and the tumors had started developing around March. When Ari touched her hand, Morgan hesitated before looking at her sister who again signed the question. **'About 6 months,'** she finally replied before waiting for the inevitable outburst.

' **What?'** Ari asked, shocked by the response. Her sister had been seriously ill for half a year before anyone found out about it?

' **Six months,'** Morgan repeated. **'That's when Dr. Brady figures the cancer started.'**

Ardelia was stunned by that but she knew it wasn't the whole story. **'But you were only feeling sick for two months.'** After a few moments to let that news sink in, she let out a deep breath and added, **'You should have said something.'**

' **I know,'** Morgan replied, looking morose. **'But Mum and Dad were already so worried about Harry I just didn't want to add to the drama.'**

Frowning in confusion, Ari asked, **'But how'd you develop that kind of cancer if you don't smoke?'** Eying her younger sister with a critical eye, she added, **'You have never smoked, right?'**

Wincing as she shook her head, Morgan said, quickly, **'No, I've never smoked. Actually, the lab tests on the tumors indicated it was more like what you'd find in people who work at chemical plants. Dr. Brady thinks it was fumes or something from Potions classes at Hogwarts. When Dumbledore found out, he ordered a full scouring of the dungeons—top to bottom.'**

Ari tried not to grimace at that, but thinking of how dingy the Potions classroom always looked, who knew what had been growing down there? More to the point, who knew how many other kids had gotten sick from the air down there?

xxxxxxxxxx

Harry was hiding in the hospital atrium when Ardelia found him later that afternoon. He looked tired, like he hadn't been sleeping lately and Ari found that that didn't surprise her much. She took in the new prosthetic arm and eye along with the leg brace and forearm Harry was using.

Last week, he'd been fitted for the prosthetics, but it was only a few days since he'd started using the brace and crutch.

 **'Who's with Morgan?'** Harry asked, curiously when he saw his older sister walking towards him, studying him intently.

' **Mum and Dad are with her,'** Ari replied, although she hesitated before replying. The question was to distract her, she knew. **'Morgan had a radiation treatment this afternoon and you know how they've been about being with her afterwards..'** She didn't say anything else for a while as she thought about her little brother. She was worried about him—Harry was starting to pull away from the rest of the family just like Ari had as she'd started getting older.

At first, Harry had been subtle about it. He didn't want his family hovering as he got his new eye and arm. He didn't want pity as the physical therapists helped him get started walking again.

But when James, Lily, and Ardelia suggested that Harry's friends come visit—or even that Harry go visit the Weasleys at The Burrow—he withdrew, saying that he didn't want his friends seeing him like this, especially Ron and Hermione.

"We need to talk," Ari said aloud, even though it hurt her throat to do so. When she had her brother's full attention, she switched back to signing, and stated, simply, **'You're shutting down, Harry.'** When Harry started to argue, Ari quickly cut him off. **'Don't deny it. I know the signs, remember?'**

' **So what if I am?'** Harry replied, frowning. **'You did it!'** Of all the emotions he'd felt after finding out about Ardelia's assault as a child—anger, guilt, disgust, sadness—the only one he couldn't shake off was the fact that he was hurt that his big sister hadn't confided in him. She'd never said anything about being attacked, or even that there had been someone other than Voldemort in the house that night.

Ari let out a deep sigh and nodded. Part of her was tired of everyone being upset with her for her actions all those years ago. Or, inactions, rather. She knew that no one blamed her for what happened, but her parents and siblings seemed to be constantly bringing up the fact that she hadn't told anyone about being molested that night. **'You're right,'** She admitted, finally. **'I did.'** It was a few moments before she could think of how to explain, but when Harry seemed validated in how he was acting, Ari finally signed, **'It's hard to explain something that you don't understand at the time. I didn't understand that I was molested. I was 3, for God's sake! But you… We know you were tortured, Harry. Everyone knows and understands that. What we don't know… is what you're not telling us.'**

Harry started to head past his sister but she stopped him and wouldn't let him head for the door back into the hospital. For almost 10 minutes, the two siblings just stood there, waiting for the other to stand down. But when Harry saw that Ardelia wasn't going to budge, he sighed and slowly sat down on a stone ledge nearby. He raised his hands to sign but he stopped when he saw the pain in Ari's eyes. Maybe she was remembering the way he used to talk to her when they were kids or perhaps she was thinking of what her life had become by not speaking—being around people who didn't know sign language, isolation even from friends and family.

Harry wanted, more than anything, to say how he felt out loud. Sign language truncated things and he didn't know if he'd be able to properly articulate what had happened to him. Thinking of the obvious, he said, **'Well, the Death Eaters never… They never did anything… sexually to me.'**

Ari seemed to relax a touch as she replied, **'I wondered.'** At the very least, her little brother wouldn't have to try and deal with the kinds of things she'd gone through.

Harry nodded and shrugged, again wishing he could go back to being able to communicate verbally. Signing cut back on details… details Harry wished he could talk about. Part of him didn't want to think about the details—he knew he'd never forget—but another part of him believed that if he could say everything out loud, it would lift some of the burden **. 'The Death Eaters kept talking about how they were going to kill me after they blinded me,'** he said, finally. **'They weren't going to use magic—said it was too easy. They wanted me to suffer first.'**

Ari withdrew her wand and conjured another crate and sat down next to her brother. "It's okay," she said, not caring how bad her voice sounded. Harry just nodded as Ari put her hand on his.

Harry kept talking, telling Ari everything he could remember. **'I think I blacked out a few times, but the Death Eaters woke me by kicking me or stomping on my already broken bones. It was almost a relief when they hit me in the back the last time, paralyzing me from the chest down. At least then my legs didn't hurt. Then someone dumped me at that hospital in Michigan. I don't know who it was. They never said anything.'**

Ari imagined Harry lying on the floor of some dirty basement, arms and legs broken, blind and paralyzed. She leaned towards Harry, pulling him into a hug, tears falling down her cheeks.

As soon as his big sister embraced him, Harry started sobbing as he held onto Ari.

"It's okay," Ari repeated over and over, mouthing the words when her voice finally gave out.

* * *

July 31st was usually a cheerful day as James and Lily celebrated Morgan and Harry's birthdays.

But on the twins' 15th birthdays, the atmosphere was slightly more subdued as the Potter family and their friends gathered in the hospital cafeteria for Harry and Morgan's party.

The Weasleys and Hermione, while aware of the Potter twins' conditions, had still been shocked to see the two in person, although both teenagers were in better shape than they had been just over a month ago.

Although she sat in a wheelchair, the regular ventilator next to her, Morgan was in better spirits than she'd been in weeks. The swelling in her throat had finally gone away completely and she could swallow soft foods again, although the doctors warned it would be another month or so before she'd be able to eat normally. Still, that morning, Morgan's first birthday present was the removal of the nasogastric tube and she was celebrating with a slice of Molly Weasley's triple chocolate cake and her mother's vanilla latte ice cream.

Harry was also doing better than before, as he started getting used to walking with the leg brace and forearm crutch. It was hard going, to be sure, and the fact that he was missing an arm certainly didn't help matters. However, Harry was stubborn, and he refused to let himself be stuck in a wheelchair just because it would be easier to get around.

Holding the paper plate with his birthday cake in his artificial hand, Harry couldn't help marveling at the device. It looked like an ordinary prosthetic limb, but beneath the synthetic covering, there was a metal 'skeleton' that used a complex series of charms and spells to act as close to a normal arm as possible. The arm responded to Harry's magical signature, and responded to the signals from the remainder of the limb to function.

Setting aside her cake and ice cream, Morgan started explaining to Hermione the removal of the NG tube, as well as the chest tube she'd had removed two weeks ago. **'The NG tube was just uncomfortable and really weird,'** Morgan said when Hermione had asked about if the procedures had hurt. **'But that chest tube… The doctors just rip that thing out of you and it feels like you're getting your arm pulled off at the socket.'**

' **Speaking from experience,'** Harry interjected, setting his fork down. **'I can second that feeling and what it's being compared to.'**

"So are the two of you looking forward to going back to school in September?" Molly asked, cordially, looking at Morgan and Harry.

Harry shrugged, not sure how he felt about going back to Hogwarts. True, he no longer had to worry about Voldemort, but he still had several disabilities to contend with. **'I guess,'** he finally replied, shrugging. **'It'll be nice to get back to something normal again.'**

Morgan looked away as she finished the rest of her cake and ice cream. When Molly gave her a concerned look, the teenager shrugged as well. **'I'm not going back until October, at least. My oncologist wanted to keep me in the hospital while I'm in treatment. And while I should be done by September, I have to avoid crowds for a month since my immune system will still be off.'** Almost as an afterthought, she frowned as she signed, **'Cancer sucks.'**

"Dumbledore sent out notices to all students and their families about the dungeons and Potions classroom," Sirius said, thinking of the letter he'd read last week. "There were some very unhappy parents that didn't like the idea of their children being exposed to toxic fumes, but on the positive side, any students who did have respiratory illnesses are being treated and should be fine." Giving a proud and comforting look to Morgan, he added, "You may have saved some of your classmates' lives."

Appreciating that her godfather was trying to make her feel better, Morgan smiled, but really, she didn't believe that finally forcing Snape to clean the castle dungeons was worth the cost to her lungs. Still, she'd spoken privately to her oncologist, Dr. Lance Brady, the previous week, and after some consultation with several healers, Morgan learned that there was a good possibility that if she went into remission and remained cancer-free for a year, the missing parts of her lungs could be magically regenerated. If so, she'd be able to get off the ventilator and the tracheostomy tube could be removed.

She hadn't wanted to tell her family since she didn't want to get their hopes up, but lately, the thought of being able to breathe on her own again was what helped Morgan deal with her current condition.

As James, Lily, and Mrs. Weasley brought out the presents for Morgan and Harry, George Weasley pulled Ardelia away for a moment, making sure they were out of earshot before he pulled out a small jewelry box. "I know your birthday isn't until November," George said with a smile. "But I wanted to give you this now."

Ari opened the box and found a simple purple choker necklace with a lavender star at the middle. Looking up at George and giving him a warm smile, she signed, **'It's beautiful. Thank you.'**

George blushed slightly as he took the necklace and put it around Ari's neck. "Well, I heard you were actually learning to speak again," he explained as Ardelia turned around to face him. "And I also heard that you were having problems with that." Seeing the puzzled look on her face, George went on. "The star pendant has some specific charms on it, making it comparable to an artificial voice box."

Touching the necklace with one hand, Ari hesitated before she said aloud, "Thank you."

The sound of her voice surprised her. It wasn't the hoarse whisper she'd had when she'd said her first words in 14 years, nor was it the raspy voice she'd had after a month of speech therapy.

It was simply her real voice, just like it was supposed to be.

When Ari laughed, she froze for a moment, hands covering her mouth in surprise. Lowering her hands, she laughed again, relishing in the sound. "I can talk! I can really talk!" Grinning like mad, she grabbed George by the hand and pulled him over to where the others were and—still with a smile on her face—told her family aloud about George's gift.

James and Lily were floored when they heard Ardelia's real voice, but they both quickly wrapped their daughter in a massive hug, Lily crying tears of joy as she embraced Ari.

Harry was amazed at the idea and congratulated George on his brilliance in creating the necklace. **'You could make a lot of money making those for other people who can't speak,'** he said, the implications boundless.

"Well, don't get too excited," Fred warned, looking from Harry to Morgan. "The charms only work if there's no damage to the person's vocal cords. "It's won't work for you two, I'm afraid."

If the Potter twins were disappointed at that news, they didn't show it, but instead filled Ardelia in on their gifts from the others, seemingly determined to keep the elevated mood going.

Later, after James and Lily took Morgan back up to her room, Harry still sat with Hermione and Ron who looked at him, slightly wary.

"So… how are you going to handle it, mate?" Ron asked in a would-be serious tone. When Harry looked perplexed as to what exactly he meant, Ron's somber expression cracked and he grinned. "You know, not having your life in danger at Hogwarts?"

Harry hadn't thought about it, honestly. He supposed that this year would be considerably less stressful.

"Ron's got a point, Harry," Hermione agreed, giving her friend an intent look. "Voldemort's gone for good."

Thinking about the possibilities, Harry found that he didn't know how to respond. Things were so different now and he had no idea where his life would go from now on. With a shrug, he said, **'I don't know what I'm going to do about next year. But I'll tell you this—I doubt it'll be uneventful.'**


End file.
